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(s)Elections See other (s)Elections Articles Title: Festus swears in first black mayor By Christine Byers FESTUS — Earl Cook stole some of Barack Obama's spotlight Tuesday, when he too made history by becoming Festus' first African-American mayor. The crowd of about 50 who witnessed former Mayor Gene Doyle's resignation and the City Council's election of Cook as mayor paled in comparison with the hundreds of thousands who poured into the nation's capital to see Obama's inauguration as president. Nonetheless, the moment was still historic and poignant for the city, which was incorporated in 1888. The crowd gave Cook, 69, the rock star treatment, mobbing and hugging him and shaking his hand. "This is a big moment, something that may have never happened," said Cook's daughter, Tamyka Cook, referring to her father's election in a city with a population that is more than 90 percent white. "I think it will give people more respect for our area." Doyle, 75, announced in December that he would resign so the council could elect Cook, the city's mayor pro-tem, as the city's first black mayor to fill the last two years of his term. "A lot of people ask me, 'Why?' and they say, 'You didn't have to,'" Doyle said. "But I had to." Cook took the oath of office flanked by Doyle and former Councilman Adam McCullough. Jefferson County Executive Chuck Banks congratulated Cook and said the moment was especially poignant because his own ancestors were slave owners and Cook is a descendant of slaves. He also noted how the event illustrated the message of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. "With the events of today in Washington and in Festus, a little bit of that dream did come true," Banks said. Cook joined the City Council in 2003. He is retired from Dow Chemical and has been involved with the Jefferson County Water Authority, the Cultural Diversity Committee and annual Black History Luncheon. After taking the oath of office, Cook pointed out that the current City Council chambers sat on what was once was the site of the city's high school, which integrated in 1955. "We were integrated on this very spot," he said. "Never did I think I would see a black president or a black mayor of the city of Festus. It's been a long road to accomplish our goals." Meanwhile, Doyle, who was serving his second four-year term as mayor, said he hoped to remain active with the city's parks department. Before the two parted ways, Doyle congratulated Cook and handed him the keys to the mayor's office. A celebration for Cook is planned for 7 p.m. Friday at the American Legion Hall in Festus.
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#1. To: Prefrontal Vortex (#0)
Here goes another city down the shitter !
I've been in Festus two or three times and did not know there were any blacks there. If he screws up he'll be gone. St. Louis had a black mayor, he screwed up, and he was gnne. Now there's a white mayor.
In politics there is no murder.
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